TECHNOLOGY Softbank, the carrier that won the coveted right to sell the iPhone in Japan, said Monday it will sell for 23,040 yen — comparable to the marked down U.S. price for the hit gadget. [INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE]

TECHNOLOGY NTT DoCoMo Inc. from today will sell waterproof cellphones that can withstand submersion in water for up to half an hour. (1) [ASAHI]

TECHNOLOGY Why should kids have all the fun? That’s an attitude on display at International Tokyo Toy Show 2008, which kicked off Thursday at Tokyo Big Sight, where people of any age are bound to find something fun to play with. [THE JAPAN TIMES]

TECHNOLOGY Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said Friday he believes environmentally friendly electric cars will dominate the future as automakers join the fight against global warming. (2) [MAINICHI]

TECHNOLOGY Electronics maker Toshiba cut its annual pretax profit outlook by 29 percent on Wednesday, hit by falls in prices of NAND flash memory chips and the cost of pulling out of next-generation DVDs. [REUTERS]

TECHNOLOGY The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour docked at the International Space Station on Wednesday night on a mission to deliver Japanese and other space laboratories. [KYODO]

TECHNOLOGY When space shuttle Endeavour launches Tuesday it will carry Japan’s first space lab to the International Space Station, giving the country a prized spot alongside the United States, Russia and Europe. [AFP]

TECHNOLOGY The government and business groups are set to jointly promote the use of 21 revolutionary new technologies, such as an advanced form of solar-power generation and underground storage of carbon dioxide emissions, as part of a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, government sources said Saturday. [YOMIURI]

TECHNOLOGY For those who feel a bit lonely just talking on the phone, Softbank Mobile Corp. is offering a cellphone that turns into a robot buddy ready to chat. (1) [AFP]

TECHNOLOGY Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will jointly produce liquid crystal display panels with Sharp Corp. in a bid to oust Samsung Electronics Co. as the leader in the global LCD TV market. [ASAHI]

TECHNOLOGY The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry will begin a joint project with the private sector to develop technology for next-generation ultra high definition video, it was learned Sunday. [YOMIURI]

TECHNOLOGY No time to bring your suit to a dry cleaner? Just turn on the shower to wash it at home. [MAINICHI]

TECHNOLOGY The world’s most sophisticated users of wireless technology may be unimpressed by Apple’s high-tech gadget. [BUSINESSWEEK]

TECHNOLOGY A mechanical arm that picks 120 items a minute from a conveyor belt won Japan’s Robot of the Year award Thursday, defeating a dozen other flashier finalists, including a walking humanoid, a firefighter robot and a transparent torso for simulating surgery. [MAINICHI]

TECHNOLOGY Electric appliance giants Matsushita, Canon and Hitachi will join forces to manufacture liquid crystal panels for flat-screen television sets, industry sources said Wednesday. [MAINICHI]

TECHNOLOGY The government plans to grant licenses for next-generation high-speed wireless communication services to a joint venture led by KDDI Corp. and personal handy-phone service provider Willcom Inc., sources said Tuesday. [THE JAPAN TIMES]

TECHNOLOGY Apple Inc is playing mobile operators NTT DoCoMo Inc and Softbank Corp against one another on selling the iPhone in Japan, where it would vie with some of the world’s most advanced phones. [REUTERS]

TECHNOLOGY Junior and senior high school students who surf the Internet or e-mail via cellphones do so for more than one hour per day, highlighting the spread of the Net among youths, according to a government survey released Sunday. [KYODO]

TECHNOLOGY Relatively affordable at 31,290 yen (US$280) i-Sobot has 17 motors, can recognize spoken words and be controlled remotely, making the walking, somersaulting, karate-chopping robot as close to a humanoid as toys get. (1) [MAINICHI]

TECHNOLOGY An eco-friendly car powered by biodiesel oil that is set to be driven around the world was unveiled to the public in Tokyo. [MAINICHI]